May 2020

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End of Journey, New Beginnings

CONNECTING SOUTHERN ARIZONA

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Silent Heroes Nogales Community Food Bank

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

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Holy Cross Hospital Prepared to Serve

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Simple Acts of Kindness Across Santa Cruz County

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Mayor’s Corner

Border Eco Updates We want to thank our readers and customers for their continued support. Your support helps us report on the great people, events, and organizations who make a difference in our community.

Our goal is to help connect Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County is a unique bordertown rich in culture, and traditions.

We are here to support our community.

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CONTENT 4

End of Journey, New Beginnings

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Silent Heroes Nogales Community Food Bank

10 Holy Cross Hospital Prepared to Serve 11 Inaugural SCV35 Hall of Fame Committee 13 Simple Acts of Kindness

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Across Santa Cruz County 14 Mayor’s Corner-May

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“As you know I will be retiring by the end of this term. I would like to take a second to thank each and every one of my employees for helping to create such a satisfying and pleasant work environment over the last 28 years. I am humbled for the opportunity I had to serve my constituents all these years. I want to thank the community for their endless support throughout the years, said Sheriff Tony Estrada.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such a great team of professionals. These law enforcement officers have worked by my side for years, they are dedicated and loyal staff, we are a family.

I am honored to be the only Hispanic sheriff in Arizona and currently the longest serving sheriff in the state. I never dreamed that someone with my humble background would serve in such a prestigious profession,” said Estrada.

My accomplishments while in office have always been “a team effort.”

A major accomplishment was putting Santa Cruz County on the map. We have been able to address the illegal flow of drugs and lowered the crime rate. Santa Cruz County has one of the most secure borders.

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“The crime rate here is extremely low, people are safe to walk our streets at night, we take great pride in knowing our community is a safe place for our citizens and visitors. We improved working relationships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies including Mexico.

On January 1, 1993, when I was first sworn into office I started working on building a professional organization through recruiting and vetting applicants looking for the best candidates. We currently have a great command center with a team of highly trained professionals. Another major accomplishment was being able to work with county staff to help build and establish a modern sheriff headquarters.

I am honored to have it named after me.

When I first started working as a sheriff I was concerned by the size and age of the jail, where over 130 inmates were being held with a maximum capacity of 52. Now we have a large detention center, administration offices, patrol, including a support division staff, a modern dispatch and state of the art 911-center.

These things were not available when I first walked into this position.

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Whoever walks into this position in 2021, will have everything they need to succeed. The new sheriff will walk into a headquarters they can be proud of and feel comfortable being a part of.

“Since I took office the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has grown into an exceptional law enforcement agency in Southern Arizona.

As sheriff, I have tailored law enforcement and policies to meet the needs of our county residents. I have been an ambassador for public safety. It is important for our border community to feel safe. It has always been my goal as a public servant to keep the public safe,” said Estrada.

Other accomplishments included establishing the law enforcement assist team volunteer program. In 1994, we established the first school resource officer at Rio Rico High School. We have established an excellent working relationship with the news media.

We are the only law enforcement organizations along the border to have hosted professionals from more than 50 countries around the world on the best law enforcement practices. I demonstrate our law enforcement practices that help to keep our border secure.

“Our headquarters has hosted humanitarian, environmental and college groups on immigration and border issues. I am very fortunate as I had the opportunity to meet the Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders, Secretary of Homeland Security and former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, former Arizona Governor Raul Castro, congressman, senators and sheriffs from Arizona and throughout the country, including the philanthropist Howard Buffet,” said Estrada.

Sheriff Tony Estrada will retire after 53 years in law enforcement. He will be completing his last term in office this year. For the first time in five-decades, he will have the opportunity to live his life as a private citizen. His plan is to enjoy quality time with family and friends. He hopes to do some travel, play golf, bowl and exercise, so he can continue to stay healthy.

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Estrada will continue to serve in clubs and organizations. He has been a spokesperson for threedecades for United Way. A member of the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Boys & Girls Club and the F.O.P. since 1966. According to Sheriff Estrada he will continue to support organizations by giving back financially to charitable organizations within the community.

“I currently don’t plan at this time to endorse any candidate as I know and have a good relationship with each of those candidates. My advice to my predecessor is always conduct yourself with honor, commitment, and transparency. It is important to always be involved in the community.

Those relationships are extremely important. In order to be successful in this profession, one has to have a vision and passion for it. Always be a mentor, loyal, and dedicated to your employees, while at the same time holding them accountable. I am looking forward to a new transition and a new chapter in my life,” said Estrada.

2020 Census Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19 The 2020 Census is underway and more households across America are responding every day. Online, phone and mailed self-responses will continue throughout the data collection process.

Visit my2020census.gov In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Census Bureau is adjusting 2020 Census operations in order to: Protect the health and safety of the American public and Census Bureau employees.

Implement guidance from Federal, State, and local authorities regarding COVID-19.

Ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities.

Under the adjusted 2020 Census operational plan, field activities would resume after June 1, 2020, as Area Census Offices begin returning to full staff capacity. In-person activities, including enumeration, office work, and processing activities, will incorporate the most current guidance from authorities to ensure the health and safety of staff and the public.

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Not all heroes are the same, they come in different forms, while some are never known. Not all heroes wear capes, some wear uniforms, others wear masks and gloves.

The Community Food Bank of Nogales has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by putting in place safety measures to help protect its employees and clients.

“We have made several changes to meet the guidelines of the CDC. We switched our food distribution to a drivethrough model to basically limit person-to-person contact. We are not allowing clients inside the warehouse.We had to suspend our volunteer program, we only have paid staff currently working and operating the food bank,” Efrain Trigueras Nogales Operations Site Director.

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The Nogales Community Food Bank along with the government and private sector distributed produce to residents across Santa Cruz County. They hosted two drive through pick ups one at Nogales High School and the other at Rio Rico High School.

The safety measures put in place include issuing clients a number upon their arrival in the parking area.

Banners, and signs are displayed throughout the entrance to direct people to either apply for assistance or pick up their food boxes.

The carts are sanitized prior to the clients using them to pick up their food boxes.

“We have adjusted our hours of operation and put new procedures in place to keep everyone safe. We Christmas Celebration have also implemented important safety measures to our food distribution,” said Monica Gonzalez Resource Center CoManager-Client Services/ Volunteer Coordinator.

Hours of operation are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Wednesday from 9:00 a.m.10:00 a.m. for seniors only 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. public

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For more information contact the food bank at: (520) 281-2790 2636 The Nogales Community Food Bank is located on: N Donna Ave. Nogales, AZ 85621 “We have gradually experienced an increase of families applying for assistance as a result of the pandemic and high unemployment rate in Santa Cruz County. We are now conforming to a new reality. The Community Food Bank is currently serving over 120-200 households daily. On a daily basis we are taking approximately 14-20 new applications daily.

Everyone here at the food bank is going above and beyond to help families through these difficult times. We are essential workers doing our best to help those families,” said Gonzalez.

We are grateful to the Community Food Bank for going above and beyond to help our community.

You are our silent heroes!

Griselda Navarro Resource Center Co-Manager-Warehouse Monica Gonzalez-Resource Center Co-Manager-Client Services/Volunteer Coordinator Reynaldo Montes De Oca-Client Services/Warehouse Assistant Jose Origel-Warehouse Assistant Arturo Valenzuela-Warehouse/Distribution Sergio Lopez- CDL Truck Driver Tomas Lopez- Logistics Coordinator Alex Dabdoub- Warehouse Assistant Efrain Trigueras-Produce Operations Manager Adrian Juarez- CDL Truck Driver

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Holy Cross Hospital is prepared to serve our community The novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the illness that has come to dominate media coverage and affected our daily lives, has changed the way hospitals and caregivers approach how we care for our communities. I want to be clear, our top priority at Holy Cross Hospital is making sure our patients, our staff and our community remain safe.

As a rural safety net provider, Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital collaborates with community partners like Mariposa Community Health Center and works with emergency medical services to provide care for residents of the Santa Cruz County area.

We have had to make changes restricting visitor policies and elective surgeries, but our hospital remains open and able to treat those needing care such as emergencies and childbirth. For the protection of our community, everyone entering the hospital is screened for fever, respiratory symptoms and travel history, and must wear a mask.

Holy Cross Hospital works closely with our county and state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to respond to any potential COVID-19 cases that may present at our hospital. We routinely treat infectious diseases at our hospital and we have strong infection control policies, procedures, and systems in place to screen and treat patients.

Anyone who presents to our hospital with concerns about coronavirus will be assessed and, if necessary stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status, ability to pay, or immigration status. We do not disclose immigration status out of respect for patient privacy.

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If a patient presents at Holy Cross and meets CDC criteria, we work with our local health department and if appropriate, gather a sample for testing and provide it to a CDC appointed laboratory. We follow CDC guidelines for identification and treatment of patients with suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

We can safely care for our patients with the supplies we currently have. Right now the rise in COVID-19 cases we are seeing in the U.S. is a concern. Carondelet is fortunate to be a part of Tenet Healthcare, which with its network of 65 hospitals across the country.

Tenet’s most important mission right now is to provide the best possible support for its hospitals and other care facilities so they can continue to deliver life-saving treatment to fight COVID-19 and many other illnesses and conditions.

Like many other health systems, we have implemented strategies for PPE conservation, consistent with CDC guidance, to address continued availability of PPE and safe treatment of patients. The safety of our patients and staff is paramount. We only permit correct, properly designed PPE when our staff are providing patient care.

All hospitals have “surge plans” for large scale emergencies, and we are working through ways to examine capacity in concert with our sister hospitals Carondelet St. Joseph’s and Carondelet St. Mary’s in Tucson, where rooms are being repurposed to designated COVID units for more streamlined and specialized care. Additional capacity is available by flexing the utilization of other areas, including pre-op and the postanesthesia care unit, for example.

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By Debra Knapheide CEO, Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital

Hospitals get inquiries for details on whether a facility has treated COVID-19 patients, number of ICU beds and other topics. We must respect patient privacy, protect our hospital’s security and defer to public health authorities for many questions relating to coronavirus.

We support the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected” initiative to help to decrease the peak of infections in Arizona. Physical distancing, in other words staying at least 6 feet away from other people as much as possible, will slow the spread of COVID-19 and help to prevent overwhelming our healthcare system.

There has been tremendous teamwork and compassion from hospital staff, physicians and board members, who are offering all of their support during this pandemic. This is like running a marathon at the pace of a sprint, but we are all in this together to protect the health of our community.

Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital is located at 1171 W. Target Range Road in Nogales; for an online COVID-19 assessment and other information, visit www.carondelet.org/ourresponse-to-covid-19.

Inaugural SCV35 Hall of Fame Committee The Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District #35 is proud to announce the formation of its inaugural SCV35 Distinguished Hall of Fame Committee. The SCV35 Distinguished Hall of Fame honors those outstanding alumni, faculty / support staff, and community who, through their contributions to the arts, business, education, athletics, government, humanities, philanthropy and science, have brought honor to themselves, the SCV35 and the communities they represent.

The purpose of the SCV35 Distinguished Hall of Fame is threefold: First, to recognize and honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to SCV35 as well as those categories listed above.

Second, to establish in the hearts of our youth, a motivating influence to excel and to encourage the adoption of lofty goals in the pursuit of excellence.

Third, to foster pride, preserve scholarship, creativity, artistic and academic excellence and citizenship by contributing to the welfare of our school and community.

“Our district has had some incredible individuals / teams, and this is a wonderful way to acknowledge and celebrate their many achievements. I will actively and earnestly work to ensure that the people who should be honored because of their hard work and effort receive the acclaim that is deserved, said Committee Chairman, John Fanning.

Individuals and performing groups are eligible for selection if they have met any of the following criteria.

Community member or Organization – A community member or organization who has contributed, and helped SCV35 attain regional or national recognition or has otherwise brought recognition and honor to the District through significant achievement. Nominees must exemplify the highest standards of citizenship, ethical conduct, and character.

Their contributions to society and personal achievements emphasize that they understand the importance of life-long learning and making the most of every opportunity. All nominees’ actions, in order to maintain Hall of Fame status, must reflect the values of the SCV 35 Hall of Fame.

Employee – Any employee whose leadership has led to significant achievements while working for the District. This category may also recognize individuals who have gone on to have outstanding careers at other institutions.

Students – Students who bring honor to the District through their achievements and leadership in the communities they serve today and those during their high school careers while at Rio Rico High School. These achievements can be academic, athletic, artistic, professional or through significant community service in their post district careers. · Community Leaders: Exemplified behavior that is a credit to SCV35, the community, state, and/or nation.

Academic Contributor: An academic contributor eligible for nomination is an individual or group who has helped to develop and foster growth of academics in the SCV35 district academic community. Any SCV35 individual, community member or group who has had a significant impact on the academic community may also be eligible for nomination. · Sports Contributor: A sports contributor eligible for nomination is an individual or group who has helped to develop and foster growth of athletics in the SCV35 district athletic community. Any SCV35 coach, community member or group who has had a significant impact on the athletic community may also be eligible for nomination.

· Athletes - An athlete may be eligible for nominations into the SCV35 Hall of Fame after five (5) years following graduation from RRHS. The selection committee can make exceptions by unanimous vote. · Team: A team may be eligible for nomination into the SCV35 Hall of Fame after five (5) years. The selection committee can make exceptions by unanimous vote. · Coach: A coach may be eligible for nomination after having coached in district, and being retired from coaching for at least five (5) years. The selection committee can make exceptions by unanimous vote.

Karla Sosa, committee member, district employee and RRHS graduate expressed her excitement about being part of the committee. “It is an honor to be considered for the committee of the first ever RRHS Hall of Fame. To have a voice in the induction process of deserving individuals that have represented our district with pride is so rewarding.

I am beyond excited to begin this journey. It is an honor to have the opportunity to select inductees to the first ever RRHS Hall of Fame. Being a graduate of the first graduating class of RRHS; the class of 1998, and having been employed by this district for 14 years, I have witnessed the tremendous growth we have achieved as a district. I am so proud of how much the school has evolved. This will be a true milestone.”

Nominations will be accepted, beginning on Monday, April 20th and will continue through Tuesday, June 30th. Nominations are open to the public and community members are encouraged to nominate. Applications can be found using the following link. https://forms. gle/DfZAj13wfmFxgqnv6 The link will also be shared on the SCV35 District website,www.scv35.org.

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Several people across Santa Cruz County have been doing their part during the Coronavirus pandemic to contribute to the well-being of its citizens.

A local 15 year- old from Nogales High School named Jose Luis Huerta spent his savings to buy material to make face masks. He is a Nogales native son of Karizma Valencia. He donated those face masks to Mariposa Community Health Center, Denny’s, Right Choice Insurance, Villa's Market and the IMSS Hospital in Nogales, Sonora. His face masks became popular among locals. His mother started getting orders from local businesses across the county. Karizma began to sell the masks for $5 to help continue to purchase more material for her son, so he can continue to make and donate masks to the elderly community. These simple acts of kindness make a huge difference.

Jose Luis Huerta

Rue Family

Jose Luis Huerta

David Mateo Aguirre-Rojas 2yr (Rio Rico)

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On March 21, 2020 Mayor Garino and City Council declared a state of emergency, due to COVID-19. A methodical plan was developed in conversation with City department directors and implemented across departments. Each Executive Order by Governor Ducey that impacted City operations has been seamlessly implemented across the City.

City buildings have limited access to the public, while providing alternative means for residents to access City services and an alternate worksite policy that protects City employees was implemented, while continuing to serve the residents of Nogales.

In addition to protecting City employees, the City is informing residents on three critical issues. First, flattening the curve; second, supporting local businesses; and, finally, protecting against fraud. Recently, Mayor Garino put out an important message on flattening the curve. He advised residents to maintain at least 6 feet of distance, and to go to stores by themselves, if possible. The Mayor also recommended frequent hand washing. The video was made in both Spanish and English and posted on the City’s Facebook page and website, covid19.nogalesaz.gov covid19.nogalesaz.gov.

Here are other steps the City has done: • The City begins discussions on Response Plan • The City sends COVID-19 info to elderly public housing residents • The City suspends evictions for non-payment • The City suspends utility shutoffs for non-payment • The City Closes bars, movie theaters, gyms, and fitness centers and prohibits on premise dining, only permitting local food vendors to serve residents with delivery, pick-up, and drive-thru.

• The City declares a state of emergency and a financial state of emergency • The City sets dropbox at City Hall for check/money order payments • The City implements Library-to-Go Program • The City launches covid19.nogalesaz.gov • The City helps affected businesses with use-based trash pick-up • The City limits public attendance of Council Meetings and livestreams on YouTube • The City Limits public access to city buildings • The City hand-delivered small business emergency loan flyers to 88 local businesses • Mayor Garino frequently communicates with local and state officials, such as the Governor’s Office, regarding

COVID-19 • The City is Encouraging Local Businesses to Publish Hours of Operations and Ways for Residents to Access their Goods and Services, While Practicing Social Distancing • The City is Coordinating with Santa Cruz County on COVID-19 Impacts Across the County • The City launched Banners for Businesses an initiative to help local essential businesses and businesses with an online presence • The City acquired surgical masks and gloves for City employees as another tool to help flatten the curve and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

• The City, aided by the personal efforts of Mayor Garino, acquired PPE for its first responders. Nogales Police

Department and Nogales Fire & Medical Department personnel are equipped with the proper PPE. • City Library partnered with the School District to assist students who need help with computers.

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